A Very Weasley Christmas
by kayleighjo312
Summary: The whole Weasley family is gathered to celebrate Christmas. Molly Weasley has outdone herself once again. As the family sit down to dinner something extraordinary happens. Is there something sinister about the sprouts?


**Written as a secret Santa gift for Karen, whose wishes were a physical de-age fic including next-gen characters.**

**A note to Karen- Merry Christmas. I have never written or read a de-age fic before (I even had to a few people what it was) so I hope this is OK. Have Wonderful Xmas, Kayleigh x**

It was a white christmas in the village and The Burrow had been blanketed in snow. Frosted Mistletoe bushes lined the crooked path and two plump Christmas trees; decorated with pine cones, berries and firefly's, sat at each side of the front door. Inside it was warm. There were colorful streamers and glowing everlasting candles that floated around the room. Garlands of holly and pine cones covered every available surface. In the center of the living room was another glorious looking Christmas tree which had a stunned gnome, sprayed gold sitting on the top of it. Mrs Weasley had outdone herself once again.

The guests had arrived and dinner preparations were now well under way. Molly was very quickly becoming stressed; not with the food itself but with the women fussing around it. 'No, no dear, just a little bit, like this, see.' She said stopping Angelina mid-baste.

Hermione and Ginny were the only women sat with their husbands at the dining table, both knowing not to get to get in the way of Mrs Weasley when she was busy. 'I'm starving' Ron groaned, not so loud that his mother would hear. Even though he was an adult, he was still terrified of her.

Most of the Weasley grandchildren were gathered in the lounge. Dominique sat playing with wizarding chess with Roxanne. Albus, Rose, Molly and Hugo sat discussing the presents they had received. 'I got a Cleansweep 2100' said Albus excitedly to his envious cousins. 'Will you let me have a go?' Hugo asked quietly. 'Mum won't let me have a broom yet, she thinks they're too dangerous' he sighed. James pulled Fred to one side, hoping not to be interrupted, or heard.

'Do you have it' James asked his cousin.

Freds eyes twinkled with mischief as he pulled a small vial out of his pocket.

'Did you doubt me?' Fred looked up at his older cousin 'So, what's the plan?'

'I thought we could prank Jenkins with it when we go back.'

'Haha, sounds good' Fred replied handing over the small bottle.

'What's that?' Albus asked inquisitively.

'Ahh it's just something to make the sprouts taste better.' Fred lied easily.

'Can I share? I hate sprouts' Albus begged.

'Sorry, little dude. There is only a couple of drops in here' Fred apologised.

Albus sighed with defeat.

Harry called everyone into the dining area. As they all walked through Albus lagged behind, still upset. A glint of something caught his eye, it was nestled in his brother's cloak. It was the potion, James had forgotten it. The vial was full, he knew they had lied. 'Yes' Albus whispered excitedly to himself. He quickly pocketed it before rushing to the kitchen.

His aunt was straining the sprouts, 'I think nan wants you Aunty Angelina.' Angelina rolled her eyes; what had she done now, she thought. She ruffled Albus's hair as she walked past. With shaking hands he opened the small vial and quickly poured its contents over the offending vegetable. Why should Fred and James get to keep it to themselves? Albus quickly stashed the bottle away as Angelina came walking back into the room.

'False alarm' she said

'Sorry'

'No worries, you'd better go and sit down. Dinner is almost done.'

'OK'

The table had been magically extended to seat the entire Weasley. Once the food was on the table and everyone had been seated, Molly Weasley stood at the head of the table looking around at her family, 'I'm not going to make a speech, don't worry' she said looking to just to her children with a huge grin on her aging face 'I just wanted to say thank you for coming to you all, family is everything to me and I am honoured to share this day with you all.' Her voice broke and tears welled up in her wrinkled eyes as she sat down. Arthur stood to carve the turkey and the food began to be passed around. The conversations were noisy amongst the massive family.

'Harry, dear. Could you pass me the sprouts?' Molly shouted above the furore, her arm outstretched.

Albus looked down into his lap guiltily.

Celestina Warbeck's greatest hits began to play on the old wooden wireless, Molly turned it up with her wand as she nibbled on a sprout.

'We used to dance to this when we were eighteen, do you remember Arthur.'

'Yes, when we were young and carefree.' He replied, again into her eyes. They had both aged but he still thought her the most beautiful woman alive. They both became lost in the memories from days gone by. All of a sudden Molly's eyes began streaming and she began to cough uncontrollably.

'Are you OK dear?' He asked worriedly, his eyes watering as he fought back a tickle in his throat

'I'm going for some air' she choked as she staggered outside gasping. Arthur followed her, concerned and soon the coughing overcame him too.

'Do you think someone should check on them?' Hermione asked to the seemingly unconcerned room.

'Nah they're barely coughing now' Ron replied shovelling yet more food into his mouth.

'I'll go' Ginny said huffing. She walked outside and yelped at the sight that greeted her. Her parents stood up against the wall, their hands all over each other.

'Oh well that's just disgusting' she cried. But something was wrong. 'Hermione, I think we have a problem' she added a little more worriedly.

Ginny heard more coughing and ran back to the dining room. 'What's going on?' She cried. First Roxanne then Harry, George, Lily. Finally most of the room was choking for breath. James, Fred and Albus watched in horror as their family started to transform before them. It was a sickening sight. Wrinkles smoothed, bodies shrank, hair darted inwards or grew uncontrollably. The adults resembled teenagers whilst the children were shrinking, becoming newborns again, drowned by clothes years too big. Hermione rushed to help them, followed quickly by Ginny, Bill and Angelina. Victoire and Audrey sat stock still, completely dumbstruck.

Ginny cradled her daughter who looked at her inquisitively. The shock of red hair and her big beautiful brown eyes brought back memories. Holding her closely Ginny took a deep breath, she loved that newborn smell. Just for a moment she would enjoy this.

At the table James turned to Albus, seething 'What have you done?'

'That's exactly what I'd like to know' Ginny said from behind them; Baby Lily still in her arms, swathed in her now too big dress.

'I, erm, i .. I put something in the sprouts, to make them taste better'

'What exactly?' She said furiously.

'I don't know, they just told me it made sprouts taste better'

'Who are they?' she said glaring at her other son now

Albus looked down into his lap, his face burning up.

'Someone at school.' He lied

'Who Albus?' Ginny was the double of her mother when she was angry.

'I know what it is' Angelina exclaimed. 'It's mine. Albus must have got it from Fred. I'll kill him.' She looked around for her son but he had sneakily ducked out of the room with James in tow. 'Its an anti aging potion' she continued.

Hermione gasped 'But they're illegal. If the ministry found out about this you would be heavily fined or worse. Where did you get it from?'

Ginny jumped in before Angelina could reply,

'Why do you have it? No offence but I never had you down as the vain type'

Angelina sighed. 'Its not what you think. George made it for me to fulfil my dreams, it was sweet but I never intended to use it.'

Ginny raised an eyebrow 'Fulfil your dreams' she questioned.

'When I was younger I dreamed of playing for Puddlemere United, but after the war I was lost, I drifted. Then finally I settled down and had a family and commitments. But the dream was always there. They're holding tryouts in January for a chaser, but there is an age limit; thirty-five. He just wanted to give me the chance.'

Both Ginny and Hermione were touched.

'Do you have an antidote?' Hermione asked

'No, it is supposed to wear off after a few hours but that depends on how much you take. George tested it a few times but I haven't.'

'So what do we do? Just sit and wait.' Hermione did not like this idea, 'Does the potion change their mental state as well as their physical?' She asked almost nervously, voicing her fears.

'Yes, I think so.' Angelina replied.

'If they have reverted back to being teenagers mentally, we are going to come as a bit of a shock to them. Should we explain what has happened?' Ginny said.

'Yes, I think we should.' Hermione replied.

The conversation was interrupted by a loud crash followed by a high-pitched scream. Great Aunt Muriel's vase had come crashing down and smashed on the floor. Teddy let go of the table he was supporting himself on and fell on his bottom, which caused him to cry even more relentlessly.

Bill walked over and scooped up the crying toddler in his arms rocking him back and forth softly, in an attempt to calm him. He pointed his wand at the broken pottery 'reparo' he said. The broken pieces flew together and slotted into each other like a jigsaw, it then flew back up to the table.

'You shouldn't have done that, Mum hates that vase' Ginny laughed. But Bill did not reply, his attention was focused elsewhere. Out of the corner of his eye he had seen Fleur batting her eyelashes at Charlie. 'Can you hold Teddy a minute, Gin?' He asked as the passed the child over, 'I just need to see' Ginny did not hear the rest of his sentence as he stalked off to the other side of the room

'Nice to meet you, I'm Charlie.' Charlie said with his sexîest lopsided grin.

'Enchantee, je m'appelle Fleur' she offered him her hand. Gently he brushed his lips against her satin soft skin.

'Fleur, that's a pretty name' he said. Charlie was flirting with her. She giggled in reply as she inched slightly closer to him. Anger boiled up deep inside Bill.

'Woah, woah, no this is not happening.' He threw himself between them.

'Excuse moi' Fleur sneered at him

'Bill?" Charlie stared at him confused 'is that you man?'

'Yeah, you've had an anti aging potion' Bill snapped, he couldn't help be angry with his brother for what he had just witnessed, even if Charlie didn't know any better.

'Man, Bill what happened to you?' Charlie asked worriedly, staring at his brothers scars.

'Dont worry about my ugly mug now bro, but you can't flirt with her, he said pointing to his teenage wife. 'She's my wife'.

Indignantly Fleur snorted in contempt. 'J'ai ne pas' Fleur exclaimed 'I most certainly am not' her french accent heavy. Ginny sat laughing at the bickering until Hermione pulled her back to reality.

'We had better go and find Ron and Harry' Hermione said to Ginny. They found them in the lounge, Albus was with them. Harry had a bemused look on his face as a skinny boy of fourteen looked back at him, his bright green eyes puzzled under his untidy black hair. Albus looked just like his father. Harry examined the boys face more closely. The boy did not have the trademark scar that identified him. Who was this? What was going on? Harry thought, he wanted to question this person but he was rendered speechless. Hermione and Ginny started to approach them to explain but Albus beat them too it.

'Wow, Dad?' Albus gazed at him in awe.

'What?' Harry spluttered in shock, 'erm, no no, I er don't think so no, sorry kid.'

Albus felt slightly hurt that his father did not know him, even if it wasn't his fault. Albus felt a warm hand on his shoulder , it was his aunt Hermione's. 'He's only fourteen, he doesn't know you yet.' She said with a smile. Harry's expression turned from shocked to horrified as he gazed at Hermione and then Ginny. Nervously he spanned the room as if waiting for something to attack. Ron was at his shoulder, he too was dumbstruck. 'Wow 'ermione' He gasped, his adolescent mouth full of sweets 'you er, you look er'

'I look thirty-seven, Ronald' she replied her tone clipped.

'Yeah, exactly'

'That's because I am, you nitwit'. The witches tried to talk to their adolescent husbands but Hermione quickly grew tired of fourteen year old Ron and stomped away.

Later in the evening Ginny found her friend in Ginny's old bedroom, baby Hugo cradled in her arms. 'I miss this sometimes' she said to her sister-in-law, Ginny smiled back at her,'Me too'. The red haired witch's expression then turned to one of worry. 'Have you seen the boys around? I haven't seen them for hours. I'm starting to become a bit worried' she exclaimed biting on her a lip. Hermione wrestled on hand free from beneath baby Hugo and lightly grasped her friend on elbow in a gesture of reassurance, 'We'll find them she said'. They both set off around the house to find them. Ginny searched around upstairs, which was decorated much nicer these days. She checked her parents bedroom but after walking in on another disturbing scene involving her teenage parents, she promptly walked straight back out again.

Ginny found Fred sat alone in his fathers old room. The room was exactly the same as it had been when they were children. Molly couldn't bring herself to change it as she had the other rooms. There were still the same old familiar posters and moving photographs dotted about the room. An old wooden trunk sat in the corner of the room, revealing a rusty old cauldron, a battered old broomstick, moth eaten black robes and tattered old spellbooks. Rolls of age worn parchment littered half of the heavy old desk. Three long forgotten boxes of 'Weasley Wizard Wheezes' merchandise sat on the other half of it. Ginny perched on the bed next to her nephew. It was still painful for her to being this room, even now after so much time had passed. 'I'm sorry I ruined Christmas' Fred Jr said sadly as he looked up at hèr. Ginny sighed. 'You haven't, I promise.' She smiled 'This is the kind of prank George and Fred would have pulled when we were younger.' Ginny glanced around the room, smiling 'He would have found this hilarious. I miss my brother so much but today hes here with me in spirit, because of you.' They both smiled at each other 'and I can't thank you enough for that.' She added genuinely.

'Thanks aunt Ginny' Fred replied weakly.

'I can't promise that your mum won't be angry or my mum for that matter' they both laughed. 'Come on' she said as she led him downstairs.

Hermione, Angelina and Bill conjured cots as if out of thin air and the others helped put the babies to sleep. After creating makeshift beds out of sofa cushions everyone settled down for the night. Fred desperately hoped things would be back to normal the next morning.

But it was not. The next couple of days were hectic, as the adults flew round tending to the needs of the babies and teenagers alike. Fred and James, who were put on Teddy duty, were exhausted after chasing the lively toddler round the house time and time again. Finally at the end of the third day, the potion began to wear off and by the next morning everyone had returned to normal. After Albus, James and Fred had been scolded by their furious grandmother, the Weasley family finally sat down and enjoyed their Christmas dinner. On December the twenty-ninth.


End file.
